


Remnants Of A Childhood

by afteriwake



Series: 100 Dates [3]
Category: Cabin Pressure, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Apologetic Molly, Awkwardness, Comedy Club, Embarrassed Martin, F/M, Fluff, Nice Molly, POV Molly Hooper, Proud Martin, Stuttering, Triumphant Martin, date, money issues, nervous martin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-08-12 02:58:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7917817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Martin & Molly go to an improv night at The Comedy Store and Molly finds out something about Martin when she pushes him up to volunteer on stage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Remnants Of A Childhood

**Author's Note:**

> So this is another fic written for Day 3 of Molly Hooper Appreciation Week, and is one of my fics for my "100 Dates" series, which has Martin and Molly going on dates on [this list](https://thenudge.com/london-lifestyle/100-best-dates/). The date in this fic is #57. It's also inspired by a prompt from **beesketches** that went " _Person A had a speech impediment as a kid, and it comes out when they are nervous. Person B thinks it's adorable._ "

Martin had said he had saved up a bit for a treat, that he had wanted to take her on a special date on the list, and Molly suggested that they try The Comedy Store. Various coworkers of hers had gone there and she’d heard good things about it, and she thought it might be fun to go somewhere they could have a laugh. She and Martin seemed to have similar senses of humour and perhaps they would luck out and there would be a comedian there with a sense of humour suited to theirs.

It was a Wednesday, and when they arrived at seven they found the event that evening was an event called The Comedy Store Players. Molly looked over at Martin and grinned. “Improvisation! That sounds fun,” she said.

“Well, we’re early,” he said nervously.

“They have food here, and happy hour drinks for another half hour,” she said with a smile. “Let’s enjoy some food and drink and then settle in for the show.” She reached over and hesitantly took his hand, watching as a slow blush crept up on his cheeks and then pulled him towards the door. He pulled out his money and then paid their way in, frowning at how little he had left. Molly pretended not to notice, but she leaned in once they were inside. “I’ll treat you to food tonight, how’s that?”

“You don’t have to,” he said.

“I didn’t realize it cost quite so much to get in, though,” she said. “And I don’t mind. Besides, I just got paid. So please, let me treat. And eat as extravagantly as you want, all right?”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

She nodded. “I’m quite sure.”

He gave her a small grin and they got themselves a seat. When it came time to get food, Martin got a steak sandwich and a Meantime London Lager and Molly got chicken kebab, vegetable spring rolls and a large glass of Colombo Les Girelles Picpoul. She purposefully made sure to spend more money than he did so he wouldn’t feel bad. She knew his lack of money was a sore spot but to be honest she didn’t mind. She liked _him_ and even if their dates weren’t extravagant she didn’t mind. The fact that they had the idea to try and do all 100 dates on the list, if they were together that long, that just made her think he was the perfect kind of bloke for her.

“Do you have any interesting flights lined up?” she asked once their food had been delivered and they began to eat.

He perked up even more at her question and nodded. “We’re going to Melbourne next week,” he said with a grin before taking a bite of his sandwich. “Have to take a load of...something that Carolyn is keeping top secret until the day before we fly out. Arthur thinks it’s some government job.”

Molly thought back to what Sherlock had said and honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it _was_ a government job arranged by his brother. “Well, I hope it isn’t anything dangerous,” she said with a smile.

He waved his hand. “Oh, I don’t think Carolyn would do anything like _that_ ,” he said. “She’s too shrewd for that. She wouldn’t do anything too risky or it would put MJN Air in jeopardy, and that’s the last thing she wants to do.” He had some more of his sandwich. “It’s her trophy, so to speak.”

“How so?” Molly asked, tilting her head.

“She won it in her divorce,” he said. “She wouldn’t let anything happen to it just to spite her ex-husband.”

Molly grinned at that. “Oh, I can understand that feeling,” Molly said. “There’s a lot of women who will do things simply out of spite.”

“I suppose,” he said.

“It’s not always a bad thing, sometimes,” Molly said. “I mean, she’s done great things with MJN Air, hasn’t she?”

“Yes,” he said, tilting his head back and forth. “Though it would be nice if I got paid more.”

“I can imagine,” she said. “Perhaps if you get more business you’ll get a raise.”

“Maybe,” he said hopefully. They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they ate, and they finished right around the time the show started. It was quite fun, and Molly and Martin took turns calling out suggestions for the improv actors to perform. At one point the called for volunteers and Molly volunteered Martin, who was chosen. He looked at her with wide eyes, and then went up on stage looking a bit scared.

It was when he was doing the bit that he began to stutter. Molly felt bad at that, but thankfully the improv actors didn’t poke fun at him, treating him with care and kindness during the skit and not focusing on it, and after a moment he got more comfortable and it eased up. By the end, he even had a grin on his face and he came back to the table looking rather excited. “I am so sorry I pushed you up there,” Molly said. “If I’d known you had a stutter...”

He shook his head. “This is the first time it didn’t end badly,” he said, sitting next to her. “I used to stutter all the time when I was a child. I worked very hard to overcome it but it comes out when I’m nervous. But you didn’t know.”

“It wasn’t very noticeable,” she said. “It was almost...cute, in a way.”

“Really?” he said, surprised.

“I know you probably didn’t think so, but I did,” she replied. “Not because of the stutter itself, mind you. But the first bloke I had a crush on had a stutter and I always liked that about him.”

“So it reminded you of the first boy you fancied?” he asked.

“Well,” she said, reaching over for his hand and squeezing it gently. “I think you’re better.”

“That’s good to know,” he said with a grin. Then he looked back at the show. “Do you want to stay after the show and enjoy the music?”

She nodded. “I think I would enjoy that very much, Martin,” she said. She gave him a wide smile and got one in return and then turned back to the show, prepared to enjoy the rest of her date. Hopefully this would be another delightful one.


End file.
